Live music licensing laws red tape cut

This news article was published under
the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Music venues across the country set to benefit from more flexible rules.

Hundreds of live music venues will be exempt from licensing laws as part of the Live Music Act 2012 that comes into force today.

The Act will see the removing of regulatory burdens and costs from hundreds of venues including pubs and clubs, making it easier to stage live music. Live unamplified music performed in any location, and live amplified music in on-licensed premises and workplaces for audiences of up to 200 people will no longer need a specific licence between 08:00 and 23:00hrs.

The reforms are part of a wider strategy to tackle red tape, including the Red Tape Challenge, which invited the public, business and the voluntary sector to give their views on which regulations should stay, be improved, or be scrapped altogether.